Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-06
PARA-CREAM!"
CHAPPED HANDS, LIPS FACE SUNbURN AND TAN CUTS AND
CONFEDERATE CADETS.
MILITARY INSTITUTE BOYS AT THE
BATTLE OF NEW MARKET.

MILITARY INSTITUTE BOYS AT THE
BATTLE OF NEW MARKET.
| A Virginia Academy Which Turned Out
. Great Many Confederate Onicers-
Heroic and Victorious Charge Of Mere
Boys-Hout Of Federal Veterans.
When the civil war broke out there was
an institution situated in Lexington, Va,
which was at that time the only dis
tinctiyely military academy in the south.
! 1t had been organized in 1889 by the state
| of Virginia upon the basis Of the closest
| possible resemblance TO the United States
| Military academy at West Point, and
| growing steadily in the public esteem, it
| had sent out. prior TO the opening of the
war 400 graduates. When the great con-
| flict became imminent and certain the
| superintendent of the Virgins military
! institute. with the most vi its officers,
| among whom was the then unknown Maj.
! Thomas J. Jackson, resigned their AGA
| demiC positions and were assigned to duty
| in the provisional army of Virginia.
| When the state seeded the s;igacious eye
| Of the president Of the Confederacy fore
| saw the necessity that there should be kept
| in active operation some institution which
| should supply the southern armies with
trained officers, as was done for the Fed
eral armies by West Point: and the officers
of the school We're, for the most part, or
dered back and directed to reopen the
institute. Only one proof need be ad
duced rs to the efficiency with which this
! appointed task was discharged by the
school When the war closed one-tenth
of the Confederate armies had been under
the command OF pupils of the institute,
embracing three major generals, thirty
brigadier generals, sixty colonels, fifty
lieutenant colonels. thirty majors, l2j
captains and over 200 lieutenants
In 1864 the section of the valley Of Vir-
ginia in which the institute was situated
was threatened 10y the army of Gen Franz
Sisel and the superintendent Of the insti-
tute was ordered by Gen. Breckinridgc, in
command of the Valley district. TO march
the cadets To his assistance The corps
embraced two hundred and fifty boys,and
on the lath of May, 1864, left Lexington
with section of artillery 10 act as re-
serve for Gen. Breckenridge If posi-
Bile; TO he used freely in battle, if neces-
sarr. On Sunday. the 18th MAY, the
HOTTIES VI ptli- tNe
army Of Gen. Sig-l. near the village of
New Market. The eNigencies of the con-
fiict soon convinced Gen. Breckenridge
that the cadets must be sent forward
They were ordered 10 the front, and
charging in superb order upon Federal
battery and its infantry support, captured
the battery aud Won the glory OF the Fed
eral defeat. OF the two hundred and
twenty-five who made this charge fifty
six fell, dead or wounded This gallant
charge 10y battalion of mere boys has
been made the theme of n most stirring
and vivid sketch by the Hon. John S
Wise, of Virginia.
a few weeks after the battle of New
Market DIR. Hunter Mcclure. formerly
Chief medical director of ''Stonewall'
Jackson's army corps and the surgeon
who attended him after his fatal wound
at Charlottesville. made an official visit
Of inspection 10 the hospitals established |
in Harrisonburg, Va, for the care of the
wounded sent irom the field of New Mar |
ket. Among the concalescent he found |
"A United States colonel of volunteers. who |
had been seriously injured in the recent |
fight. DIR. Mcclure expressed to this |
officer his regret that the impoverished |
condition Of the southern service and the |
total want of hospital stores had made il |
impossible TO make the wounded prisoners |
more comfortable, adding that the |
Confederate wounded were equally strait |
ened. The officer replied that he had re- |
ccived every needed attention and had |
been treated with marked kindness He |
then said, in substance, as follows:
Doctor, would hardly seem TO be a |
fit object for congratulation, wounded as |
l am and a prisoner; Yet do congratu- |
late myself that | was present at the |
battle of New Market. You are surprised, !
l will explain myself. l had, before the
war began. been something Of reader, |
and especially interested in military his
tory, and | had formed u very distinct
conception of the manner in which dis
ciplined troops might he expected to be-
have on the field of hattie. But in all my
observation during the three years Of the
war had seen nothing that corresponded
with my expectations. / had been with
some of our hest troops in battle, and
had seen the choicest Confederate troops.
On both sizes had witnessed the fight
ing Of brave and heroic men, but nothing
answering to my ideal Of war l had
never looked on the perfect union of
morale and discipline until l saw it in
that petty fight at New Nsrket.
'When that hattie S2ened / was with
my regiment in a strong position which /
Fad selected for them behind the crest of
! hill, on the trout side of which was the
ield Of wheat through which the Cadet
battalion charged. had made my men
lie down and 1 do not think the Confetl-
crate troops knew We were there saw
the cadets form in line of battle and adj
vance. As soon as they moved forward
the battery which my regiment WAS sup
porting opened on them with grape and
canister They closed the gap torn in
their ranks and came on touching elbow,
As if they were on drill and we practicing
npon them with blank cartridges. As
hey approached us We opened with
AT close range, but they came
straight on. In Il moment l found myself
'n the ground with this wound When
'aised myself mp the cadet line was pass
ng over the ground on which nv reci-
nent had stood. My men were not
towards; they were as good soldiers as
my OF our volunteer troops But one
night a well have attempted TO stop a
with his bare hand AS to arrest
he Charge of those regulars with INV
roops. l am glad was there, for then / ,
aw war. lanes Henderson Smith in
Times.
Afraid of Electricity.
Practical men seem IN haya &, Ii,,o,;,,